OriginBlu Communications Blog

A little while ago I came to the sudden realisation that I wasn’t happy. I loved my relationship and my job, but I just wasn’t feeling the city where I was living. The time had come to move back to Cape Town. I didn’t want to resign however, so I approached Mich (aka the OBC captain) with the idea of working remotely.

I must admit, I wasn’t holding my breath. While our boss is very easygoing, I also recognised that expecting her to just trust that I’d be working and not hanging out on the beach all day was a big ask. After all, if you’re paying someone a salary it’s not unreasonable to want to see them earn it.

But aside from the obvious trust issues, she also had to take into account whether or not my decision to move would have a negative impact on our clients. Fortunately the majority of my communicating is done via email, so in the end Mich decided that it would not be a problem. Adding that it would be easy enough for me to fly up for the occasional meeting or business trip when necessary.

Generally when people are applying for a new job they’ll say just about anything to land the coveted position. We’ve all used the “I work well with people and on my own” line. Unfortunately in my case this is a blatant lie, because I really don’t play nicely in the sandpit. Even my kinesiologist said I should work by myself.

I’ve been back for three weeks now, and on the whole the experience has been fantastic. There’s definitely something to be said for creating your own happiness. There are, however, some things to take into account if you’re contemplating the shift from office to anywhere.

First and foremost, does your job even allow for such a move? I’m fortunate in that all I need to do what I do is a laptop and Internet connectivity.

Work area

Make sure you have a proper desk and ergonomically designed, adjustable chair. I’ve spent the last three weeks sitting on a bar stool at the kitchen counter, and my back and neck are suffering as a result of this less than adequate seating arrangement. This guideline offers some practical tips for setting up your computer and chair correctly. If at all possible ensure that you have a permanent work area that’s just for you. A makeshift or shared workspace means that you will always have to pack your things away at the end of the day.

Discipline

I’ve spoken before about the importance of scheduling, but when working alone it’s even more imperative that you plan your day and then stick to it no matter what. Luckily I’m of an age and mindset where I feel too guilty to skive off during work hours (I hope you’re reading this Mich!), although had I been afforded this opportunity in my twenties…

The point is, when no-one is watching you you have to be your own fun police. I’ve found my Google calendar to be an enormous help in this regard. I arrange my day’s tasks into blocks of time the night before, and then leave the browser window open so I can easily refer back to it to check if I’m on course. The trick is in leaving it open though! It’s the old ‘out of sight out of mind’ adage.

Communicate

Keeping your boss and colleagues in the loop is good business etiquette anyway, but when you’re no longer in the same office as them you need to be even more proactive in this regard. Skype and email are great for this, or if you’re feeling retro you can always pick up the phone.

Working remotely won’t suit everyone, but if you can make it work for you there are definite benefits for both parties.

By eliminating the daily commute to and from work I not only have more time for myself, but I invariably start work earlier than I did when I was going to the office everyday as well.

I do miss the company of my co-workers, but not being distracted by office chit-chat means I get more done.

For companies, having some (or all) of your staff work from home can translate into huge savings.

Less office space means less rent.

Rather than having to take a day off, staff with children will still be able to work when their kids are home sick.

Sick leave will be greatly reduced as staff won’t come into the office and infect their co-workers.

If effected correctly, it can be a win/win situation for both parties.

Remotely yours,

Ang

We’ve decided to implement the Express Series, because sometimes short really is sweeter. Although in this case, less is more.

White space is a concept that seems to strike terror into the very being of the average advertiser. But once you move past the ‘cold sweats’, you’ll see that it can actually be quite liberating.

So often there is just way too much information crammed into the space available. Like squashing a hundred barely legible words into a space the size of a business card, or using seventeen small images when one good one will do. A web or magazine page with reams of continuous copy will invariably have the reader scurrying for the ‘get me the heck outta here’ button.

The bottom line is that your advert or website shouldn’t be an exercise in torture for the reader. Don’t expect them to wade through 15 paragraphs just to determine exactly what it is you are offering.

Some basic guidelines for good use of space:

First you need to figure out what the aim or focus of the design is. Select one thing – either an image or word – to carry your message. This should constitute about 30 percent of your space, and is what will draw attention to your ad and ultimately get people to look at it.

Now add the supporting cast: text, images etc. Keeping front of mind at all times that less is more. Copy must be short, simple and to the point, and should fill about 50 percent of the available space.

The penultimate design element is your call to action. This is where you get the person you just persuaded to look at your ad to do something. Depending on your medium (website, print advert etc), this could be to either call, click, text message etc. A scant 10 percent or less is all that’s needed for this section.

And finally…the icing on the cake. The remainder of the design should be space. Space to breathe, space to exist, just plain space.

Rather than seeing them as hard and fast rules, use these guidelines to steer your design in the right direction. It’s not about how much you can cram into the space you have available. It’s about creating a space that draws people in, and makes them want to ‘get’, and ultimately act on, your message.

Until next time,

Amanda

Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Okay, so we’ve looked at keeping your content simple. And by content (just in case you’ve forgotten), I’m referring to anything from web copy and newsletters, to press releases and magazine articles. It’s now time to look at how long your sentences are, and whether or not you’re making correct (and sufficient) use of the comma.

Always address your readers as if you’re talking to a friend – on their level. Professionals need a professional tone, while people in the advertising world may prefer a more funky approach. Think of it this way, who do you find the most interesting to listen to? The guy with the monotonous voice and dreary, dull conversation; or the bright, engaging, amusing chap who is the life and soul of the party – you know the one – he of the snappy one-liners?

Remember that people who are inclined to prattle will tend to write in the same way. If you’re a “Chatty Cathy” then it might be a good idea to have someone take a look at your content. Whatever you do, don’t bore the pants off your readers by going on ad nauseam with sentences that go on and on and on…

Let’s take a gander at sentence structure. The first rule of thumb is that each sentence should only have one thought. Avoid “waffle” at all cost. When you’re finished with this single thought, press that full-stop key! New thought = new sentence.

A sentence should never be more than one and a half lines. If you’re unsure of whether your sentence is too long or not, try reading it out loud in one breath. If you end up gasping halfway through, insert a comma or end it!

Which brings me to the subject of the comma. Here are the most common ways to use it:

To list words:

We need to buy paper for the printer, staples, file dividers and ink.

To enclose additional thoughts:

He was, without a doubt, the biggest Sumo wrestler Japan had ever seen.

To distinguish a name from the rest of the sentence:

Tell me, Horace, do you honestly believe that man?

To separate adjectives:

However, a list of adjectives does not always need a series of commas.

Example: Frank’s shiny red Ferrari.

If the adjectives are part of the same object (shiny red Ferrari) you don’t need commas.

Example: Lucky’s chubby, snobbish, generous girlfriend.

Where the adjectives are separate descriptions of an object/person (chubby, snobbish, generous) you do need commas.

Got the idea? If so, my job here is done for now.

So, before I bore you all to tears with this less than illuminating – but still essential – topic, I’ll wish you all a fabulous and productive week (after the weekend that is!).

’til next time

Ing

Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So your on-page SEO now scores 10 out of 10. Well done, consider yourself high fived! It’s now time to start generating some traffic.

Where to begin?

We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again. CONTENT, CONTENT, CONTENT! You have to start producing something of value, something that will get a reaction from your audience. With all the clutter that’s out there, the challenge is to stand out and make your reader take note.

But how, Larry, how? Oh alright, we’ll give you some pointers…

Do something different. Whether that is an eye-catching graphic image, a snappy subject line or your super interesting subject matter. Spend a little time thinking about what everyone else is doing, and look somewhere else. Originality always scores points.

Research and consider the needs and wants of your readers. Do they really need that recipe? Do they really need to know that Sally has been promoted from the garden to housekeeping? You can find a couple of nuggets here if you dig deep and do a bit of psychoanalysis. Some needs may not be directly related to what you offer, but if they are attributed to a knowledgeable source, you will gain favour as someone in the know. This builds your brand folks!

Don’t get too focused on fancy graphics. Sometimes getting hung up on the look of an electronic campaign will backfire. As not all browsers display content in the same manner, your well-intended piece of art could end up scrambled and subsequently deleted. Or worse … you could end up with an unsubscriber. Ironically, I have found that our most successful campaigns have been those designed to look like an ordinary email message.

Offer an incentive. This wins every time! But remember, you can’t just fall back on bribery. You need to offer useful information too.

Make them laugh!

Get them talking. Sometimes, throwing a contentious question into the arena and then letting it grow its own legs is a great way of getting your content shared.

Use other people’s stuff! So much more value is placed on what others have to say about your brand vs. what you have to say about yourself. So find what others are saying about you, and share it. Google Alerts is a fantastic (and free) system that alerts you to any online mentions of your brand. Flickr pics, YouTube clips, blogs, and website pages. You may be a lot more popular that you think. HINT: you can also set an alert to read what is being said about your competition … *just sayin’*

Be relevant and immediate – people love reading about stuff that is happening right now. Relate your communications to current events (Nandos are the masters of this), or be on-the-ball enough to communicate things that are happening in your space right now. An example: “Seen on safari 10 minutes ago…” (Share a picture and short description).

Keep it simple. Your copy, your pictures, your message. Time is scarce, attention spans are short, and nothing is quite as off-putting as a page full of text.

Be honest. Be humble. Be quick to respond. And don’t be scared of criticism.

What really gets you cackling, guffawing, nodding, frowning, hissing, and pondering? Talk to your peers and friends. Hey, why not ask your readers? And then use these findings to shape your own communications.

The purpose of today’s blog is to get your cognitive wheels turning, and to encourage you to get up close and personal with what you are communicating, and whether it is really working for you.

In the next edition we will look more closely at all the facets of the online communication loop, and assessing how best to ensure that your loop is integrated and consistent.

I’m now off to commune with the jasmine…

Delirious – with – happiness – now – that – spring – has – sprung…

Michelle

I did some Googling, and it turns out everyone and their cousin has an opinion as to which of the more than 200 social networking sites one should show face on. According to Ebizmba these are the 15 most popular. At least they were yesterday, by now that could well have changed. Predictably, Facebook and Twitter commandeer the first and second spots, with newcomer Google+ placing a respectable sixth.

Except for the paltry bits of information gleaned while editing Brey’s post on the subject, I must confess I know almost nothing about it. Nor do I care to. I’m not being a prissy purist (I’ll save the wearing of that cap for when I feel the need to complain about how the youth of today are ruining the English language), just practical.

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. To which I’ll add, if it ain’t due for an upgrade then don’t upgrade it.

For our stable of clients we use Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Looking after all of these accounts is a time consuming exercise. It’s fun too, no doubt about it, but it still takes time if you want to do it properly. It’s all about making the best use of the hours you have available.

Rather than spreading yourself too thin by attempting to maintain a presence everywhere, choose just a few platforms and give them your full attention. Don’t try and be friends with everyone, direct your efforts at the people you want to notice you. The rest don’t matter.

We find that our chosen platforms offer the perfect combination to complement the blog we maintain for each of our clients. More recently, we’ve added LinkedIn to the mix for some of them.

The blog is the cornerstone of our communication strategy, and we spend a lot of time writing and editing posts so that they are entertaining and informative. For us content is key when it comes to garnering new readers, and keeping our old ones coming back for more.

We use Facebook to share links, photos, and short, newsy updates, all of which are automatically fed through to Twitter. We’ve added an app to pull in video clips uploaded on YouTube, and an RSS feed pulls in the blog just in case readers want to trawl older posts.

Take the time to interact with your fans/readers/followers. Treat them like friends. Encourage them to share their viewpoints, and then join in the conversation. People appreciate acknowledgement, even a simple “thank you for commenting” will suffice. Although I do try as far as possible to make my responses more personal than that – adding emoticons is great for this. It lets the readers know they’ve made me smile, which they usually have.

Used correctly, SEO and keywords will most certainly improve your page ranking, but if getting noticed is your main goal, then perhaps you need to revisit your motivation for writing a blog (or being on Facebook etc) in the first place.

Write from the heart, with your sole purpose being to give your readers a memorable experience. Because in the end, it’s the honest and engaging content that moves people, which in turn moves them to share.

And then you’ll end up on top anyway.

Ang